Former Chief of Staff of the Kyrgyz President's Office Farid Niyazov was arrested on Friday on charges of taking hostages during attempts by law enforcement to detain ex-President Almazbek Atambayev
BISHKEK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2019) Former Chief of Staff of the Kyrgyz President's Office Farid Niyazov was arrested on Friday on charges of taking hostages during attempts by law enforcement to detain ex-President Almazbek Atambayev.
The situation involving the ex-president escalated on Wednesday, when security forces attempted to storm his house in the village of Koy Tash, located 12 miles away from Bishkek. Law enforces sought to arrest Atambayev, as he refused to obey subpoena on corruption suspicions. The situation turned violent as the former president's supporters fought back, preventing him from being detained. On Thursday, the storming operation continued and Atambayev surrendered to the authorities as the violent clashes between the law enforcement and his supporters resumed.
"He was detained for 48 hours under the case of hostage-taking in Koy Tash," an adviser to Atambayev, Kunduz Joldubaeva, told Sputnik.
Niyazov had been the president's chief of staff until 2017. He also served as incumbent Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov's campaign manager.
After surrendering, the former leader was taken to the capital to be brought into the Interior Ministry's main investigative department for questioning.
A parliamentary committee has concluded that Atambayev, who served as the president of Kyrgyzstan from December 2011 to November 2017, has been implicated in abuse of power, corruption, forgery and other crimes. Atambayev has denied the allegations and accused the security officers of attacking their compatriots.
